# Detecting public and private Gateways

**URL:** <https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/detecting-public-and-private-gateways/16740>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [August 10, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/detecting-public-and-private-gateways/16740 "2018-08-10T17:21:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pedromandre](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@pedromandre](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/pedromandre)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/detecting-public-and-private-gateways/16740/1 "2018-08-10T17:21:11Z")

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Hi,

I’ve been working with LoRaWan HW for some time and I’m looking for a way to understand how can a device distinguish between two different LoraGW’s, owned by different companies.

Problem: In lab environment everything is working ok (because I can control the gateway). On the outdoor environment (where multiple companies can have GW’s on the same location) I haven’t found a easy way way for a device to understand if it is registering on a valid LoraGW.

I’m have a mobile telco background and there we have several indicators for which network we are syncronizing (color code, MCC+MNC, etc), which I don’t find in LoRa.

Is there any solution for this or it’s just bumping into the “wall” until we get a JoinAccept?

Thanks.

BR,  
Pedro André

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**Author:** ![BoRRoZ](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/borroz/32/44234_2.png) [@BoRRoZ](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/BoRRoZ)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/detecting-public-and-private-gateways/16740/2 "2018-08-10T18:01:36Z")

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you don’t connect to a specific gateway but all lorawan gateways will receive and transport all valid lorawan packets.

- [https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/network/architecture.html](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/docs/network/architecture.html)

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**Author:** ![pedromandre](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@pedromandre](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/pedromandre)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 9:28am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/detecting-public-and-private-gateways/16740/3 "2018-08-13T09:28:40Z")

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Thanks for the prompt reply and for sharing the information.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BoRRoZ](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/borroz/32/44234_2.png) [@BoRRoZ](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/BoRRoZ)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 9:42am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/detecting-public-and-private-gateways/16740/4 "2018-08-13T09:42:01Z")

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